By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Onozure Dania

JUSTICE Aishat Opesanwo of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, Wednesday, granted accelerated hearing to the suit filed by some commercial motorcycle operators against the Lagos State Government for banning their operations in some federal highways in the state.

The trial judge, however, struck out an interlocutory application, filed by the claimants, where they prayed the court to restrain the government from implementing the new Lagos State Traffic Law.

The suit was filed by Bamidele Aturu on behalf of the commercial motorcycle operators under the aegis of the All Nigerians Autobike Commercial Owners and workers Association, ANACOWA.

The defendants in the suit are the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr Ade Ipaye.

When the matter came up for mention, counsel to the claimants, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, informed the court that they were withdrawing their application for interlocutory injunction and that they intended to substitute it with another application for accelerated hearing.

According to him: “There is a need for us to withdraw our interlocutory application so that the court can hear the substantive suit in an accelerated manner. We believe that there is a need for the court to urgently deal with this matter because it is in the interest of the generality of the populace.

“Many of them have been suffering from this draconian action of the government to restrict the motorcyclists from operating in federal high ways.”

The state Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who is the third defendant and counsel to Lagos State Government, informed the court that the law was already being enforced in the state.

”My Lord, take judicial notice that the law came into effect on August 2, 2012. It was in reaction to the enforcement of the law that the claimants herein only on Monday, October 22, 2012 went on rampage.